Crispy Gamer Calls Out Resident Evil 5's Racism

[fix-the-spade]

Honestly, those spear-chucking Africans I saw in the Escapist's own review supplement seemed to be something that would even make Joseph Conrad blush.

So using the same logic would Medieval bow wielding Europeans have been racist if it was set in England?

You mean like the Cross-bow wielding medievil styled Europeans in RE4?


(Puts on Jeremy Clarkson hat)
This racist stuff is bullshit. Resident evil 4 played up Spanish and religious zealot stereotypes massively, it was set in Spain. This game's set in Africa so naturally it does the same thing but to African and tribal stereotypes. Just because they're black doesn't mean you have to be nice to them.
(Takes off Jeremy Clarkson hat)

 

[sanzo]

It's so nice that people can waste their time looking for perceived racism in video games (Resident Evil, no less) when actual racism still exists

I'm glad I don't have this much time on my hands

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

"First things first: I'm a big white dude. Aside from a small amount of Native American blood, I'm as white as white gets. So I'll say this as clearly and as honestly as I possibly can: As a big white dude, I was uncomfortable with the subhuman portrayals of black people in Resident Evil 5. "

What a stupid and irrelevant way to start a review.

I'm not going to read on, it's just wrong.

It's a game set in africa, if there's no africans, i'd be f***ing worried.

-Joe

Agreed. Anyone who's starting a review like that seems like a closet racist to me.

In my opinion the Zombies don't care about race, so who cares?

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Guess what? it's Africa. There are still Africans who run around with spears and shields. Watch Mark and Olly. Stop being ashamed of your race and projecting it onto all of us.

I am a big white dude with GERMAN blood. I feel uncomfortable with subhuman portrayels of africans or any other racial group. And this game is not racist. Let it go.

PS: The Subhuman depictions are SUPPOSED to make you uncomfortable, it's a Zombie game. It's a HORROR game. Horror = UNCOMFORTABLE. Your missing the point.

 

[ae86gamer]

im playing RE5 right now and i don't think its racist. People say that its wrong that ur killing black people but uhh ur in Africa. If you killed only white people and were in Africa people would say its racist because there are no black people.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

Sorry for another post but:

Crispy Gamer says

"The African zombies, in contrast, look underfed and hollow-eyed. Their lips are puffed and cracked; their bloodshot eyes practically bug out from their skulls. The physical contrast between the game's heroes and villains -- light skin versus dark skin (even Sheva, who's African, is light-skinned); civilized versus savage"

Yea he's definately a closet racist. It's People vs. Zombies, nothing more.

"Things get more troubling when a scream erupts from a nearby alleyway, and Chris and Sheva spot a zombie dragging off a white woman by the hair. Chris and Sheva give chase. When they find the woman, something has happened to her. She falls limply into Chris' arms. "Are you OK?" Chris asks repeatedly. The woman, of course, promptly transforms into a zombie. She has been infected."

So there's white zombies in this game? This won't stop him pointing fingers and calling people racist.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Sorry for another post but:

Crispy Gamer says

"The African zombies, in contrast, look underfed and hollow-eyed. Their lips are puffed and cracked; their bloodshot eyes practically bug out from their skulls. The physical contrast between the game's heroes and villains -- light skin versus dark skin (even Sheva, who's African, is light-skinned); civilized versus savage"

Yea he's definately a closet racist. It's People vs. Zombies, nothing more.

"Things get more troubling when a scream erupts from a nearby alleyway, and Chris and Sheva spot a zombie dragging off a white woman by the hair. Chris and Sheva give chase. When they find the woman, something has happened to her. She falls limply into Chris' arms. "Are you OK?" Chris asks repeatedly. The woman, of course, promptly transforms into a zombie. She has been infected."

So there's white zombies in this game? This won't stop him pointing fingers and calling people racist.

I find his description of the zombies hilarious because isn't that what zombies are SUPPOSED to look like? RE5 is the first game to make use of next gen hardware, thus the zombies are simply more detailed.

 

[sanzo]

Honestly, the racism is really only there if you go looking for it; and that says a lot more about you then it does about the game

 

[NoDamnNames]

Honestly, those spear-chucking Africans I saw in the Escapist's own review supplement seemed to be something that would even make Joseph Conrad blush.

So using the same logic would Medieval bow wielding Europeans have been racist if it was set in England?

You mean like the Cross-bow wielding medievil styled Europeans in RE4?

Yes, the same ones held up in a stereotypical medieval fortress that lay siege on you with period weapons and catapults. Not to mention is controlled by stereotypical power hungry religious fanatics who skim donations, steal money, and take political hostages.


I really don't see a racist argument here. As the racism seems to be in the eye of the beholder. Have any African Americans actually complained that the zombies are not white anymore, or is it just white people with to much time on their hands trying to sound as intelligent and un-racist as possible by accusing this game.

 

[Aktrez]

I have been playing this game all night and honestly, I was a little offended by how UNRACIST it was. Let me explain.

It is set in Africa. Therefore, there are a lot of black people in Africa. But when I am killing zombies I'm not killing black people .. I'm killing everyone! In fact, the very first person you come across on your side is middle eastern. It feels as though Capcom was so concerned over being racist that they made sure to throw in every race under the sun.

I am ALL for equality but when people start crying that we are killing black people when the game is set in AFRICA!?!? Come on! That's like being upset at killing asian people in a game set in Japan.

I want to play a game that feels semi realistic. Sure octo-worm things are popping from guys/girls heads but, aside from that ... it's pretty real!

 

[Cowabungaa]

so you guys see absolutely nothing wrong with a white American guy & his buddies going into an African village (where everyone is "infected"), massacring the populace and being portrayed as a hero? this is risky ground already, without even going into the way that africans are portrayed in the game (apparently appealing to long-forgotten stereotypes). to completely dismiss any suggestion of racism is just silly.

No, for a simple reason: skin color DOES. NOT. MATTER.
This so called anti-racism is one of the things wich keeps actual racism going, the urge to (for some reason) protect people because of their skin color. Not being racist means treating people of different skin colors the same.

 

[sanzo]

so you guys see absolutely nothing wrong with a white American guy & his buddies going into an African village (where everyone is "infected"), massacring the populace and being portrayed as a hero? this is risky ground already, without even going into the way that africans are portrayed in the game (apparently appealing to long-forgotten stereotypes). to completely dismiss any suggestion of racism is just silly.

His buddies? Isn't Redfield alone throughout the entire game? (Besides Sheva, of course)

And isn't the whole plot behind the game just another Umbrella conspiracy?

If it's not, feel free to correct

Not disagreeing, by the way. We all know that people would get upset over this; but you gotta wonder if there's really something there, or are people just grasping at straws?

 

[The-Big-D]

Its set in Africa.
Yes there are Africans.
Yes there are African tribe people with spears and shields.

Your not going to find some native white man in the area are you!
No one jumped to the defence of the spanyards in Resident Evil 4 so drop the bloody arguement. Its set in Africa and yes there are Africans its not racist its just what is around the area.

 

[FallenRainbows]

There was a video I saw somwhere proving RE 5 Isn't rascist,

Was it JesKid?

If anyone finds it link it up it proves a point in a very funny way.

 

[ButtonedDownParadox]

I think there is definitely an argument that some of the imagery is loaded. But I don't sense any malice from the developers. So racism? No.

 

[Aktrez]

so you guys see absolutely nothing wrong with a white American guy & his buddies going into an African village (where everyone is "infected"), massacring the populace and being portrayed as a hero? this is risky ground already, without even going into the way that africans are portrayed in the game (apparently appealing to long-forgotten stereotypes). to completely dismiss any suggestion of racism is just silly.

No, for a simple reason: skin color DOES. NOT. MATTER.

Note, you haven't played the game. It's not an "American and his buddies". In fact, make it clear that they don't like him because he's American. It's an American special op and his partner - an African woman! On top of it, when they call in for back up the main guys who show up are usually of various ethnicities. Again, people are trying to make some drama out of this game. Everyone just needs to CTFO and enjoy! There is nothing racist about it. Now put down the QQ factory and kill some damn wormies, soldier!

 

[DigitalSushi]

so you guys see absolutely nothing wrong with a white American guy & his buddies going into an African village (where everyone is "infected"), massacring the populace and being portrayed as a hero? this is risky ground already, without even going into the way that africans are portrayed in the game (apparently appealing to long-forgotten stereotypes). to completely dismiss any suggestion of racism is just silly.

Nope not really, but the japs are well known xenophobes (oops I just made a generalised racist remark myself)

and RE5 isn't as racist as RE4, its why RE4 is the more awesome game, for the hilarious racism and for Leon "white as the driven snow" Kennedy killing all those pitch fork wielding Spanish "peasants"/farmers.

I actually lived in those sort of rural areas, and its a pretty spot on view if you was to sit on the hillside and look from afar, without interacting with the locals.

Does that make me racist?. No. Does it make a game racism?, NO ITS FUCKING GAME. games are fucking shit at portraying the source material, even down to hairstyle. They are inherently shit at just about everything they do.